DOCSLIB.ORG

2005 Annual Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Middle East Institute 2005 Annual Report The Middle East Institute (MEI) was founded in 1946 by Christian Herter, who would soon be named US Secretary of State, and George Camp Keiser, a Middle East scholar. The Institute was initially an adjunct of Johns Hop- kins University-School for Advanced International Studies but was then spun off as an independent non-profit organization. There were no organi- zations in the Washington area at that time that focused on the contempo- rary Middle East. MEI was designed to fill the void. The Institute’s charter promised: “…to increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote a better understanding between the peoples of these two areas.” This remains the Institute’s objective. Traditionally, MEI has not taken positions on issues and does not identify with a particular political party or with a specific side on the many disputes that have wracked the region. The Institute continues that policy today. In- stead, MEI offers a forum for debate, opinion, and analysis through a va- riety of educational and informational programs, including briefings and seminars, media outreach, a scholars program, a quarterly peer-reviewed scholarly journal, a language program, a library, and various conferences. The Institute is supported by individual and corporate members, by in- dividual donors, and by foundations. MEI is a membership organization, but many of its programs are open to the public. Both policy papers and informational resources are available on its website. 1 Letter from the President One year shy of our 60th anniversary, it is a time to reflect on the past and think of the future. Unfortunately, the Middle East is still a scene of conflict and that means we need to work harder in pursuing our mission to promote knowledge of the Middle East in America and strengthen un- derstanding of the United States by the people and governments of the region. We have done a lot during the past year to further that goal, including more than 50 lectures on topics ranging from “Democratization in the Middle East” to “Educational Reform in Egypt and the Arab World.” Attendance to our events continues to increase. More than 1,500 MEI members, gov- ernment officials, congressional staffers, businessmen, and members of the media visited MEI to participate in our noontime briefings. Many more were able to read summaries or transcripts of the events on our website. The popularity of our programming has also attracted partners for larger events, including the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the Asia Foun- dation. A special conference focusing on the Arab-Israeli peace process featured the top four negotiators under the Clinton Administration in a rare and insightful debate that was also webcast live to audiences in Texas and Ohio. The archived webcast is available through our website for media and schol- arly reference. MEI’s 59th Annual Conference was a double-barreled success, garnering considerable media coverage for keynote speaker Prince Turki al-Faisal in his debut as the newly-appointed Saudi Ambassador to the United States. Former presidential advisor Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski addressed the Annual Conference Welcome Banquet. He provided a thought-provoking analysis of US policies toward the Middle East and advice on how to open chan- nels of communication rather than close them. Several panel discussions proved particularly prescient, especially the debate on Iraq’s political future and the discussion about competition for new energy sources. The con- ference attracted more than 400 people, including MEI members, staffers from Congress, embassy and US government officials, business executives, university students and professors, and the media. Speaking of the media, MEI scholars and staff continue to provide reliable and balanced information and analysis to US and international media out- lets. As events in the Middle East warrant more thoughtful commentary, MEI continues to receive a large number of media queries and citations — well over 3,200 in 2005. We are reaching out to the American heart- land through media interviews, op-eds, meetings with editorial boards, and speaking engagements for our scholars and staff at universities, World Af- fairs Councils, and other gatherings. We also participated in media confer- ences in the Middle East, which allowed us to expand our reach into the 2 region with very positive results. In a major step forward, MEI can now boast a fully accredited language and area studies program. Under Dr. Shukri Abed’s leadership, the Depart- ment of Languages and Regional Studies passed the rigorous requirements for accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training. The added value for our language program comes at a time when there is a great need for Arabic and Persian speakers. Enrollment in all our language classes has steadily increased to 1,012 students, a 13% increase over 2004. In another MEI effort to improve communication between the peoples of the US and the Middle East, we officially launched the Sultan Qaboos Cul- tural Center (SQCC), thanks to the generous support and cooperation of the Sultanate of Oman. The SQCC will explore and promote the culture and heritage of Oman, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Iran. MEI has vital tasks to help educate, dispel stereotypes, and provide a fo- rum for dialogue. We have many talented people working on our behalf to fulfill our mandate. We appreciate the continued loyalty and support of our members and donors who share our belief that we can and do make a difference. Edward S. Walker, Jr. President 3 MEI Programs The Middle East Institute’s Programs offer an Middle East Institute in-depth, timely look at current events and the underlying issues spanning the region from Fractured Realities: A Middle East in Crisis Afghanistan to Morocco to Yemen. The sub- 59th Annual Conference stantive coverage offered by MEI’s 2005 confer- ences, panels, policy programs, book launches, The 59th Annual Conference was held on No- roundtable discussions and corporate briefings vember 7-9, 2005 at the National Press Club. As demonstrated its importance as a forum for conflicts and insurgencies continued to hinder discussion and dissemination of information efforts to foster positive changes in the Middle in Washington, beyond the Beltway, and to the East, MEI panelists offered detailed analysis on Middle East. pressing issues such as energy, intelligence gath- ering in the region, reconstruction efforts in Major Symposiums Iraq and Afghanistan, and prospects for Pales- tinian-Israeli peace after the Israeli withdrawal Lessons of Arab-Israeli Peacemaking: from Gaza. Four Negotiators Look Back and Ahead Welcoming Banquet Zbigniew Brzezinski, Former National Security As the Bush Administration re-engaged in Advisor Arab-Israeli peacemaking, the Middle East Institute hosted four of the top negotiators re- Keynote Address sponsible for US policy toward the peace pro- HRH Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Ambassador of cess under the Clinton Administration on April the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the US 25, 2005. Reflecting on their experiences and on what went right and what went wrong, these Collecting and Understanding US Intelligence seasoned negotiators brought invaluable les- on the Middle East sons to the revived efforts to broker peace in Frank Anderson, Retired CIA Operative the Middle East. Rand Beers, former Counterterrorism Advisor John Moore, retired Defense Intelligence Martin Indyk, Saban Center at the Brookings Agency Analyst Institution, former US Ambassador to Israel Moderator: Wayne White, Retired State and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Deptartment Intelligence Analyst and MEI Affairs Adjunct Scholar Robert Malley, International Crisis Group, The Escalating Conflict Between Syria, Iran, former NSC Advisor for Arab-Israeli Affairs to and the US President Clinton Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker Hisham Melhem, host of “Across the Ocean,” Aaron David Miller, Seeds of Peace, former Al-Arabiya TV Deputy Special Middle East Coordinator Theodore Kattouf, President of AMIDEAST Moderator: Michael Collins Dunn, Editor of Dennis Ross, Washington Institute for Near The Middle East Journal. East Policy, former US Ambassador and Spe- cial Middle East Coordinator Understanding the Global Insurgency Alberto Fernandez, Director of Public Moderator: Edward S. Walker, President of the Diplomacy in the US State Department 4 Michael Scheuer, author of Imperial Hubris Ehud Eiran, Harvard Research Fellow Robert Pape, author of Dying to Win Moderator: James Bennet, The New York Times Zaki Chehab, Political Editor of Al-Hayat Magazine and LBC TV Moderator: Syed Farooq Hasnat, MEI Negotiations vs. Unilateralism Adjunct Scholar Daniel Kurtzer, Former US Ambassador to Israel Reconstructing Afghanistan and Iraq Gideon Grinstein, Founder and President of Larry Goodson, Director of Middle East Re’ut Institute Studies at the Army War College Robert Malley, Director of the Middle East Ali Jalali, Former Afghan Interior Minister Program at the International Crisis Group Samir Sumaidaie, Iraqi Representative to Moderator: Steve Solarz, APCO Worldwide the UN and Former US Congressman Phebe Marr, Senior Fellow at the US Institute of Peace Corporate Briefings Moderator: David Mack, Vice President of the Middle East Institute Crisis in Sudan John Limbert, Former Charge d’Affaires of the Where Will the Energy Come From? American Embassy in Khartoum David Goldwyn, CEO of Goldwyn International Strategies
Recommended publications
  • Iraq Index Tracking Variables of Reconstruction & Security in Post-Saddam Iraq

    Iraq Index Tracking Variables of Reconstruction & Security in Post-Saddam Iraq

    Iraq Index Tracking Variables of Reconstruction & Security in Post-Saddam Iraq http://www.brookings.edu/iraqindex March 31, 2011 Foreign Policy at Brookings Tracks Security and Reconstruction in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan Afghanistan Index » http://www.brookings.edu/afghanistanindex Iraq Index » http://www.brookings.edu/iraqindex Pakistan Index » http://www.brookings.edu/pakistanindex Michael E. O’Hanlon Ian Livingston For more information please contact Ian Livingston at [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS Tracking the Aftermath of the Surge Page Estimated Number of Iraqi Civilian Fatalities by Month, May 2003-Present…….…...…………………………..…….....….. UPDATED 3.31.11….……3 Detailed Explanation of Iraqi Civilian Fatality Estimates by Time Period……………. UPDATED 3.31.11…..…….……..……………………………….4 Enemy-Initiated Attacks Against the Coalition and Its Partners, by Week..…………..… …...……...……………………………………....…………….....5 Iraqi Military and Police Killed Monthly…………..……………………………….....… . UPDATED 3.31.11....………….……………….....………...……5 Weapons Caches Found and Cleared in Iraq, January 2004-Present……………………...………..……………………………………………………….....6 Number of Roadside and Car Bombs in Kirkuk, 2007-2010………………NEW 2.25.11….….………………………………………………………………6 Multiple Fatality Bombings in Iraq………………… . UPDATED 2.25.11…………....…...………..….……..…………………………………..………..…..7 Killed and Wounded in Multiple Fatality Bombings…….……………....... UPDATED 2.25.11.……...…...………..………..…………..….……..………...7 Number of Multiple Fatality Bombings Targeting Civilians by Sectarian Group and Month……
  • Interview with Dayton S. Mak

    Interview with Dayton S. Mak

    Library of Congress Interview with Dayton S. Mak The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project DAYTON S. MAK Interviewed by: Charles Stuart Kennedy Initial interview date: August 9, 1989 Copyright 2010 ADST Q: Dayton, when and where were you born? MAK: I was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, July 10, 1917. Q: Let's talk about the family, let's go on the Mak side. What do you know about them? MAK: The Mak original name was three-barrel Mak van Waay, which in Dutch would be Mak fon vei [pronounces in Dutch]. They were from Dordrecht, the Netherlands. The family had an antique showroom there, an auction house a bit like Sotheby's. Q: ...in... MAK: In Dordrecht. That was the Mak van Waay family. They then moved to Amsterdam. At the same time, anther part of the family, a son, I believe, wanted to establish a Mak van Waay firm in Dordrecht itself. According to Dutch law, they couldn't do that. There could only be one firm Mak van Waay, so they opened the Firma Mak in Dordrecht. The Firma Mak still exists, and the big building remains on the tour of the old city of Dordrecht. The Mak van Waay part, of which I'm a member, stayed in Amsterdam until about 15 years ago, when the last Mak van Waay died. He had no children. So, the Mak van Waay in Interview with Dayton S. Mak http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib000739 Library of Congress Holland effectively died out.
  • Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians from US Drone Practices in Pakistan

    Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians from US Drone Practices in Pakistan

    Fall 08 September 2012 Living Under Drones Death, Injury, and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic Stanford Law School Global Justice Clinic http://livingunderdrones.org/ NYU School of Law Cover Photo: Roof of the home of Faheem Qureshi, a then 14-year old victim of a January 23, 2009 drone strike (the first during President Obama’s administration), in Zeraki, North Waziristan, Pakistan. Photo supplied by Faheem Qureshi to our research team. Suggested Citation: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION CLINIC (STANFORD LAW SCHOOL) AND GLOBAL JUSTICE CLINIC (NYU SCHOOL OF LAW), LIVING UNDER DRONES: DEATH, INJURY, AND TRAUMA TO CIVILIANS FROM US DRONE PRACTICES IN PAKISTAN (September, 2012) TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I ABOUT THE AUTHORS III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS V INTRODUCTION 1 METHODOLOGY 2 CHALLENGES 4 CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 7 DRONES: AN OVERVIEW 8 DRONES AND TARGETED KILLING AS A RESPONSE TO 9/11 10 PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ESCALATION OF THE DRONE PROGRAM 12 “PERSONALITY STRIKES” AND SO-CALLED “SIGNATURE STRIKES” 12 WHO MAKES THE CALL? 13 PAKISTAN’S DIVIDED ROLE 15 CONFLICT, ARMED NON-STATE GROUPS, AND MILITARY FORCES IN NORTHWEST PAKISTAN 17 UNDERSTANDING THE TARGET: FATA IN CONTEXT 20 PASHTUN CULTURE AND SOCIAL NORMS 22 GOVERNANCE 23 ECONOMY AND HOUSEHOLDS 25 ACCESSING FATA 26 CHAPTER 2: NUMBERS 29 TERMINOLOGY 30 UNDERREPORTING OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES BY US GOVERNMENT SOURCES 32 CONFLICTING MEDIA REPORTS 35 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
  • The Biden Administration and the Middle East: Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Way Forward

    The Biden Administration and the Middle East: Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Way Forward

    THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND THE MIDDLE EAST: POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WAY FORWARD THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE MARCH 2021 WWW.MEI.EDU 2 The Biden Administration and the Middle East: Policy Recommendations for a Sustainable Way Forward The Middle East Institute March 2021 3 CONTENTS FOREWORD Iraq 21 Strategic Considerations for Middle East Policy 6 Randa Slim, Senior Fellow and Director of Conflict Paul Salem, President Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program Gerald Feierstein, Senior Vice President Ross Harrison, Senior Fellow and Director of Research Israel 23 Eran Etzion, Non-Resident Scholar POLICY BRIEFS Jordan 26 Dima Toukan, Non-Resident Scholar Countries/Regions Paul Salem, President US General Middle East Interests & Policy Priorities 12 Paul Salem, President Lebanon 28 Christophe Abi-Nassif, Director of Lebanon Program Afghanistan 14 Marvin G. Weinbaum, Director of Afghanistan and Libya 30 Pakistan Program Jonathan M. Winer, Non-Resident Scholar Algeria 15 Morocco 32 Robert Ford, Senior Fellow William Lawrence, Contributor Egypt 16 Pakistan 34 Mirette F. Mabrouk, Senior Fellow and Director of Marvin G. Weinbaum, Director of Afghanistan and Egypt Program Pakistan Program Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 18 Palestine & the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process 35 Gerald Feierstein, Senior Vice President Nathan Stock, Non-Resident Scholar Khaled Elgindy, Senior Fellow and Director of Program Horn of Africa & Red Sea Basin 19 on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs David Shinn, Non-Resident Scholar Saudi Arabia 37 Iran
  • John Calabrese Cal Foreignpolicy@Hotmail.Com Jcalabrese@Mei.Edu

    John Calabrese Cal [email protected] [email protected]

    John Calabrese [email protected] [email protected] American University The Middle East Institute Tel: (202) 895-4913 Tel: (202) 785-1141 ext. 208 EDUCATION B.A., Government/English 1975 Georgetown University Diploma [Distinction] 1987 The London School of Economics Compar./Int’l. Politics Ph.D., International Relations 1991 The London School of Economics PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1978-86 Secondary School Teacher Emerson Preparatory School, Washington, DC 1988-89 Graduate Teaching Assistant, International Relations Department The London School of Economics, London, UK 1989-90 Lecturer, Department of Politics Richmond College, Richmond, Surrey, UK 1990-91 Visiting Assistant Professor, Political Science Department University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 1991-94 Visiting Assistant Professor, Government Department Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 1994-96 Associate Dean of Students; Lecturer, Government Department Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 1996- Scholar-in-Residence The Middle East Institute, Washington, DC Assistant Professor, School of International Service (WSP) The American University, Washington, DC 1999- Book Review Editor The Middle East Journal PUBLICATIONS 1990. “Japan in the Middle East: Paradox of Power,” The Pacific Review, 3:100-14. 1990. “From Flyswatters to Silkworms: The Evolution of China’s Role in West Asia,” Asian Survey, 30: 862-76. 1990. “The Syrian-Iranian Axis: What Basis and What Future?” The World Today, 46: 188-90. 1991. China’s Changing Relations with the Middle East. London: Pinter, 1991. 1992. “China and the Gulf: Peaceful or Dangerous Collaborators?” Pacific Affairs, 65: 471-85. 1994. Revolutionary Horizons: Regional Foreign Policy in Post-Khomeini Iran. London: Macmillan. 1994. “Iran and Her Northern Neighbors: At the Crossroads,” Central Asia Monitor, 5/6: 1-11, 13- 18.
  • The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria Year of Origin

    The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria Year of Origin

    MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN SYRIA Name: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria Year of Origin: 1945 Founder(s): Mustafa al-Sibai Place(s) of Operation: Syria Key Leaders: • Mohammad Hekmat Walid: Comptroller general [Image: Al Jazeera] • Hussam Ghadban: Deputy Comptroller general [Image not available] • Mohammad Hatem al-Tabshi: Head of Shura Council [Image not available] • Omar Mushaweh: Head of media and communications [Image; source: Fox News via Omar Mushaweh] • Mulham Droubi: Spokesman [Image; source: Syria Mubasher] • Zuhair Salem: Spokesman [Image; source: Twitter] • Mohammad Riad al-Shaqfeh: Former comptroller general [Image: AFP/Getty Images] • Mohammad Farouk Tayfour: Former deputy comptroller general [Image: please take from MB entity report] • Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni: Former comptroller general [Image: please take from MB entity report] • Issam al-Attar: Former comptroller general [Image: Bernd Arnold] Associated Organization(s): • Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin1 • Syrian Ikhwan2 The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (i.e., the Syrian Brotherhood or the Brotherhood) was formed in 1945 as an affiliate of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.3 The Syrian Brotherhood actively participated in Syrian politics until 1963, when the incoming pan-Arab Baath party began restricting the movement before ultimately banning the party in 1964.4 In 1964, Brotherhood member Marwan Hadid formed a violent offshoot—known as the Fighting Vanguard—whose members waged numerous terror attacks against the regime in the 1970s and early ’80s. In 1982, in order to quell a Brotherhood uprising in the city of Hama, then-Syrian President Hafez al- Assad dealt a near-fatal blow to the group, killing between 10,000 and 40,000 armed 1 Raphaël Lefèvre, Ashes of Hama: The Muslim Brotherhood in Syria (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013), 24.
  • John Hagee, Christian Zionism, Us Foreign Policy and the State of Israel

    John Hagee, Christian Zionism, Us Foreign Policy and the State of Israel

    JOHN HAGEE, CHRISTIAN ZIONISM, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL: AN INTERTWINED RELATIONSHIP Master’s Thesis Presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Brandeis University S. Ilan Troen, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Michael Kupferberg May 2009 Copyright by Michael Kupferberg May, 2009 ABSTRACT John Hagee, Christian Zionism, U.S. Foreign Policy and the State of Israel: An Intertwined Relationship A thesis presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, MA By Michael Kupferberg Christian Zionism while originating in England over two centuries ago is currently experiencing a reinvigoration, especially in the political world. Christian Zionists are using politics as a way to fulfill Biblical prophecy, by influencing powerful politicians in all levels of government to support Israel. The most vocal, and prominent leader within the Christian Zionist movement is Pastor John Hagee. Through the establishment of his organization Christians United for Israel, Hagee has localized and given a tangible center for Christian Zionist activists. Additionally, the movement has gained membership as it was established in the model of a grassroots organization. Hagee has become a well known figure in the political community, and garners national media attention. While it has become fashionable in recent times to criticize Jewish organizations such as AIPAC, it is the Christian Zionist organizations which yield a large portion of power in Washington. However, it is crucial to realize that while CUFI and groups like it may yield some power in Washington, and account for some of the decision making that goes into U.S.
  • Palestinian Conflict? Study Group with Dr

    Palestinian Conflict? Study Group with Dr

    How Should the Next President of the United States Handle the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict? Study Group with Dr. Robert M. Danin, Senior Fellow, Middle East Initiative, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School February 9, Session 1: How did we get here? Recommended Readings/Viewing: A five minute Council on Foreign Relations overview video narrated by me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljig_S8tC6k William B. Quandt, American Diplomacy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict since 1967 (1993: Brookings) pp. 1-21. Steven L. Spiegel, The Other Arab-Israeli Conflict: Making America’s Middle East Policy, from Truman to Reagan, pp. 1-15 Nathan Thrall, “Israel and the US: the Delusions of our Diplomacy,” New York Review of Books. October 9, 2014: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2014/10/09/israel- us-delusions-our-diplomacy/ Supplemental/Discretionary Readings: Jeremy Pressman, “From Madrid and Oslo to Camp David: the United States and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1991-2001” in David Lesch, ed., The United States and the Middle East: A Historical and Political Reassessment, 5th edition. (Boulder, CO: Westview, 2012), pp. 244-261. Robert O. Freedman, “George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict,” in Ibid., pp. 262-293 March 1, Session 2: The Situation on the Ground Today: Conflict in Regional Context, Israeli and Palestinian politics today Recommended Readings: “No Exit? Gaza & Israel Between Wars.” International Crisis Group. Middle East Reports no. 162. August 26, 2015. (Read the summary at minimum) Mouin Rabbani, “Another Palestinian Uprising?” Middle East Institute. August 5, 2015. Gregg Carlstrom, “Can Anyone Prevent a Third Intifada?” Foreign Policy.
  • Islam - Washington's New Dilemma :: Middle East Quarterly

    Islam - Washington's New Dilemma :: Middle East Quarterly

    Islam - Washington's New Dilemma :: Middle East Quarterly http://www.meforum.org/289/islam-washingtons-new-dilemma Islam - Washington's New Dilemma by Benjamin Gordon Middle East Quarterly March 1996, pp. 43-52 http://www.meforum.org/289/islam-washingtons-new-dilemma Benjamin Gordon is a consultant at Corporate Decisions, Inc., Boston, and a recent graduate of Yale College. Does the U.S. government have a coherent policy toward fundamentalist Islam? Fundamentalists themselves are convinced not only that Washington has a policy but that it is a consistent and aggressive one. Iran's former ambassador to the United Nations, Said Raja'i Khourasani, asserts that the American position "has not changed" over the years: "The language is always the same -- it is threatened or it is threatening."1 On the other side, scholars and diplomats tend to see incoherence in policy toward fundamentalists as they do about foreign policy in general. Richard Haass speaks for many when he holds that "public statements by administration officials about the purposes of U.S. foreign policy have been inconsistent or simply ambiguous.2 In fact, neither side is entirely correct. While there has been a coherent policy, it has changed over time. Since 1979, when Iranian fundamentalist Muslims overthrew Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Washington has undergone a series of subtle shifts in its policy toward fundamentalist Islam. From Presidents Reagan to Bush to Clinton, the U.S. government has migrated from rhetorical confrontation to timid outreach to outright accommodation. The following analysis focuses on official U.S.
  • Transitions in Iraq: Changing Environment Changing Organizations Changing Leadership

    Transitions in Iraq: Changing Environment Changing Organizations Changing Leadership

    DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMMANDER U.S. JOINT FORCES COMMAND 1562 MITSCHER AVENUE SUITE 200 IN REPLY REFER TO: NORFOLK, VA 23551-2488 102 20 JAN 2010 Mr. Steven Aftergood Federation of American Scientists 1725 DeSales Street NW, 6th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Dear Mr. Aftergood, This is a partial response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, dated 7 May 2008, in which you seek a copy of a 2006 study of operations in Iraq that was performed by the Joint Warfighting Center at the direction of the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense. U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) conducted a thorough search and discovered one hundred eighty-seven (187) pages of documents responsive to your request. We are releasing a partial copy of this information: portions of pages 47-51 are being withheld under Exemption 1; portions of pages 140-141 are being withheld under Exemption 2; and portions of pages 17-22 and 140 are being withheld under Exemption 6. Exemption 1 pertains to information specifically authorized by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy that is properly classified pursuant to such Executive order. Exemption 2 pertains to internal information the release of which would constitute a risk of circumvention of a legal requirement. Exemption 6 pertains to information the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of a third party. Please be advised that this is only a partial response. Significant portions of this record fall under the jurisdiction of other agencies, whom USJFCOM must consult regarding their equities.
  • March 26, 2019 the Honorable Richard Shelby Chair, Senate

    March 26, 2019 the Honorable Richard Shelby Chair, Senate

    March 26, 2019 The Honorable Richard Shelby The Honorable Patrick Leahy Chair, Senate Committee on Appropriations Vice Chair, Senate Committee on U.S. Senate Appropriations Washington, DC 20510 Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs The Honorable Lindsey Graham The Honorable Nita Lowey Chair, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Chair, House Committee on Appropriations on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Chair, House Appropriations Subcommittee Programs on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Kay Granger The Honorable Harold Rogers Ranking Member, House Committee on Ranking Member, House Appropriations Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs The Honorable James Risch The Honorable Robert Menendez Chair, Senate Committee on Foreign Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Relations Foreign Relations The Honorable Eliot Engel The Honorable Michael McCaul Chair, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ranking Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Dear Members of Congress: As former diplomats and national security officials, as well as leaders of non-governmental organizations, we write to express our most serious concern about the President’s 2020 budget proposal for international refugee and humanitarian assistance. At a time in which global forced displacement, at nearly 70 million, is at its highest level since these numbers have been recorded, it is disheartening that the administration is proposing a reduction in humanitarian aid of more than $3 billion, or more than one-third of the amount the United States is expected to spend on such aid in this fiscal year. Such cuts would have devastating impacts on civilians at grave risk in countries experiencing conflicts or natural disasters, and we urge you to sustain and even augment the current levels of refugee and humanitarian aid.
  • After the Accords Anwar Sadat

    After the Accords Anwar Sadat

    WMHSMUN XXXIV After the Accords: Anwar Sadat’s Cabinet Background Guide “Unprecedented committees. Unparalleled debate. Unmatched fun.” Letters From the Directors Dear Delegates, Welcome to WMHSMUN XXXIV! My name is Hank Hermens and I am excited to be the in-room Director for Anwar Sadat’s Cabinet. I’m a junior at the College double majoring in International Relations and History. I have done model UN since my sophomore year of high school, and since then I have become increasingly involved. I compete as part of W&M’s travel team, staff our conferences, and have served as the Director of Media for our college level conference, &MUN. Right now, I’m a member of our Conference Team, planning travel and training delegates. Outside of MUN, I play trumpet in the Wind Ensemble, do research with AidData and for a professor, looking at the influence of Islamic institutions on electoral outcomes in Tunisia. In my admittedly limited free time, I enjoy reading, running, and hanging out with my friends around campus. As members of Anwar Sadat’s cabinet, you’ll have to deal with the fallout of Egypt’s recent peace with Israel, in Egypt, the greater Middle East and North Africa, and the world. You’ll also meet economic challenges, rising national political tensions, and more. Some of the problems you come up against will be easily solved, with only short-term solutions necessary. Others will require complex, long term solutions, or risk the possibility of further crises arising. No matter what, we will favor creative, outside-the-box ideas as well as collaboration and diplomacy.